Bickering isn’t needed, but there is no doubt that many objective indicators of service quality and system stress in the NHS point to a decline. Vacancies in posts alone is a substantial concern and is directly linked to govt policies in training in recent years (withdrawal of the nursing student bursary for example).

Denying the fact that the NH is under pressure isn’t helpful either... we need to be realistic about what to expect when we underfund our healthcare system.

But the NHS is always 'underfunded' because demand for healthcare is infinite. Its funding has gone up continuously. There will never be a time when this isn't a political fight, that is, there's no level of funding that would end this bickering.